In The Envelope
by Alabaster Ink
Summary: Mrs. Pevensie gets an envelope filled with four letters and a photograph. It makes her think on her children's changes. MUCH better than it sounds, I just don't know how to describe it. R and R


**A/N: Hiya people! This is just a little one-shot that I thought of when I was bored during graduation practice. It takes about two weeks after LWW. I meant to get it out the other day, but won't let me update anything (is it letting anyone?). Plz correct me if I get the currency wrong and also ignore any grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except the messenger, and I never will (no matter how much I wish I did).**

**IT'S SUMMER!

* * *

**

Helen Pevensie finished putting her biscuits into the oven. They were for the neighbors who were having a hard time getting by and Helen felt that she should help. Although many of the ingredients were in short supply, she had managed to get some off the black market in order to make them. Putting down the oven mitten, she heard the doorbell ring and quickly turned towards the front hall.

Mrs. Pevensie walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She made her way over to the front door and opened it. Standing outside was a short man in military attire. Now this was not at all unusual in the least, seeing as almost every man now wore them. Yet, Helen could not help but feel a little worried.

"May I help you?" She leaned against the door frame and watched as the old man took out an envelope from his satchel.

"A package, madam, from the countryside." Helen's heart leapt with joy. Her children. Her children!

"Thank you." The woman took the envelope from the man's outstretched hand. Tipping him one shilling from her apron pocket, she closed the door and slowly walked into the living room.

Helen carefully took a seat in her favorite chair and took out her reading glasses, the biscuits forgotten for now. She quickly opened the parcel and watched as four letters and a picture toppled out of it. Grabbing the first piece of paper, Mrs. Pevensie instantly recognized her eldest child's delicate handwriting.

_Dear Mother,_

_How are you doing? I hope everything is as good at home as it is at the Professor's. You would love it here mum. There are so many places to explore and everyone is so nice. Well, except for Mrs. Macready, the Professor's housekeeper. She's quite grouchy. Anyway, I can't believe that it has already been two weeks since we left. It feels more like fifteen years. You probably wouldn't be able to recognize any of us, especially Ed. But then again, after his little brush with death, none of us were the same._

She stopped reading for a moment. "Brush with death?' What did that mean? Was her son in trouble? What had happened? She was scared to read on, but did so anyway, to get some answers.

_Now mum, don't worry. Ed's fine, quiet, but fine. We were playing hide and seek and Ed tripped, fell down the stairs, and crashed into a suit of armor. The armor fell and a piece went through his stomach. I know it sounds really bad, and it was, but don't worry, he's fine. We haven't let him out of our sight, which I believe is starting to annoy him. Edmund doesn't really show it though. _

_Well, I had best be going now. I hope to see you soon. Maybe you could even come here. I love you._

_Love Your Son,_

_Peter_

Mrs. Pevensie shakily put down the letter and let out a deep sigh. Her children were growing and she wasn't even there to see it. Peter seemed to be doing fine, and Edmund, well she hoped he was doing fine. Picking up the next letter, she found Susan's curly and flowing script.

_Dearest Mum,_

_Oh, mother it's so hard to not be with you. I miss you so much, but the Professor promises that we can see you soon. I know it's only been two weeks, but it feels like fifteen years have slipped by. I do not regret that you have sent us away, though. We've gotten so much closer to each other. You should see how much Edmund's changed. He has become so quiet and reserved since the accident. And little Lucy doesn't seem so little anymore. She's still full of life, but she is no longer as naïve as she was. Peter too has grown. He knows now how to carry responsibility correctly and no longer blames himself for everything. I don't really know if I would be able to explain how I have changed, but it's just the feeling I have that tells me that I am no longer the girl that you last saw. _

_I'm sorry that I must end this letter so quickly, but I do believe that I just heard he dinner bell. Good-bye mum, I hope to see you soon._

_With All My Love,_

_Susan _

Helen couldn't help but find that Susan's letter was much more mature than usual. It was as if an adult had written it. Peter's had seemed that way too, but Susan's seemed more pronounced. Her lady of a daughter also seemed to be far too modest about herself as well as to the others. It was as if this letter of hers and Peter's harbored a deep secret. Peter's letter, especially, seemed far too calm when it came to her younger son's almost death experience. Anxious to see if her two youngest would give away any answers Helen reached down and picked up Edmund's letter.

_Dear Mum,_

_Has it really only been two weeks? It feels more like fifteen years since I last saw you. I don't believe I am able to say as much as Peter and Susan. I would like to, but I think that I would much rather say them to you personally instead of through a letter. I miss you a lot, but I know that I'll see you again soon. You may find it odd that I am saying all of this, and no Susan didn't write this for me, but the accident changed something in me that I would rather keep to myself.If you get any letters from dad, would you mind sending them to us after you're done with them? Thank you. _

_Oh, and mum, I'm so sorry for how I shunned you at the train station the day you sent us away. I suppose I was just scared, or most likely angry. Now, I wish that I could take it back. I'm sorry mum, I hope you forgive me. We'll see you soon, good-bye._

_With Much Love,_

_Edmund_

Mrs. Pevensie stared at his letter in shock. Peter and Susan had said that he'd changed, but this was just extraordinary. In just two weeks, her son had gone from being snide and rude to apologetic and polite. It was almost frightening. And yet, he hadn't given anything away. He too seemed to carry the same secret as his older siblings. Maybe her little Lucy would shed some light on the situation. Reaching for the last letter, Helen stopped and examined it.

On the front was the head of a lion. It was nicely drawn and it seemed to brighten up the page. Quickly looking at the others', she noticed that they too had drawn a lion's head. It puzzled her as to why her children had drawn a lion or anything at all for that matter, but it calmed her. She didn't know why, but it did. Storing the question in her mind for later, Helen opened her youngest child's message and began reading.

_Dear Mummy,_

_Oh, mummy, I miss you so much. I wish we could come home, but I know how dangerous that would be for all of us. It seems as if we have been apart for fifteen years, even though it's only been two weeks. Maybe you could come here for Christmas, but if you don't, that's okay. Peter says that the bombings will stop soon, but even if that happens, peace won't come as easily. All four of us know that and we wanted to let you know too._

_You've probably already heard about Edmund's accident. While it may have been terrible then, we are actually thankful for it now. It brought all of us a lot closer. Don't worry about us, mum, we're all okay. After all, we have our guardian angels looking out for us in some way. That may sound childish, but if you think about it, it really isn't. We'll see you soon, mummy. I love you._

_With Love,_

_Lucy_

Helen was surprised at how wise her daughter sounded. It was as if she knew what was going to happen. Susan was right when she said that Lucy was no longer as naïve. It truly was amazing at how much they had changed over the course of two weeks, or as her children had said, fifteen years. Why they had each picked fifteen years was a mystery to her, but Helen had to agree.

Placing each of the letters down on the (former) coffee table, Mrs. Pevensie grabbed the last paper. It turned out to be a colored in photograph of the four. Her children had always enjoyed coloring the photos that they took to make them seem more alive and realistic. But there was something different about this one.

The children were what appeared to be the living room. Susan was sitting like the lady she was on the left of the sofa with her hands neatly folded on her lap. Lucy sat next to her in the same position. Both girls were facing inward with their heads facing the camera. Peter stood behind Susan with his hands on her shoulders. Next to him was Edmund, who was grasping Lucy's shoulders. It was like the perfect family portrait.

They had colored everything perfectly. The colors were shaded and darkened in certain spots and they had made sure that each detail was perfect. However, they seemed so much happier. Maybe it was the fact that they were ALL smiling, but there was something much deeper. It could have also been that they all seemed so much older since she last saw them. However, this was not the only thing; there was something that she was missing.

Grabbing the picture, she walked over to the stairs and went up to the second floor. Entering the middle of the hallway, Helen walked down to the end and opened a door. Inside, was another flight of stairs. She picked up her skirt and walked up, the picture still clutched in her hands. Reaching the top, she turned on the lights and rummaged around the dusty attic.

Finding an old box, she flipped open a lid and started looking through the old photographs. Many of the more recent ones were colored in, not as neatly and precise, but still colored. Reaching out for the most recent one of all of them, she found it to be one from three years ago. After this one, she didn't have a photo of all her children together; Edmund had absolutely refused.

It had been during a trip to the zoo. Peter was holding Edmund's hand and Susan was carrying Lucy on her hip. All four of them were looking around in wonder. It was a year before the war started and they all looked so young. But then again, at six, seven, nine, and ten, all children look young. Placing both photos next to each other, Helen examined them to the best of her ability. Naturally, the age features were different, but that wasn't it. After looking at the two for a long time, Helen found what she was looking for.

It was their eyes.

An unusual spark filled with love, adventure, sadness, and knowledge of the world beyond their years was evident in them. It frightened Helen to think of how they acquired it for not even war could show anyone what her children must have seen.

Putting the old picture back, Mrs. Pevensie walked back down both flights of stairs and returned to the living room. Placing the photo next to the letters on the coffee table, she stared longingly at for a while.

Fifteen minutes later, Helen got up and went back into the kitchen; her biscuits must be done by now. As she pulled the tray out of the oven, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her children. They left bickering, but now they seemed so close. Something much greater had happened besides the accident, and Mrs. Helen Pevensie was determined to find out what.

* * *

**Okay, so it might not have been the best ending, but I couldn't think of what else to write. I hope you liked it. Plz review but don't flame. I might do a sequel, but I'm not quite sure.**

**For all of you who have read RBYS, I regret to say that I won't be able to update past chapter nine this month. I may not even get chapter nine out. I'm so busy right now and I have been having a horrible writer's block. I know what's going to happen much later in the story (and all the funny things that go along with it), but not many of the things that will lead up to them. How do you go from complete angst and drama to funny (with angst mixed in it)? If you have any ideas, plz tell me.**

**Also, If any of you have any prank ideas that would be possible for two royal/noble children (boy and girl/ Edmund and his future romance), and then later on into young adults could play on each other. Something really funny, like hair dyed pink or a pie in the face that would be an angst relief. This is for later on, once I get more into the Golden Age. I said that there wouldn't be any love at first sight. And boy, there is definitely no love at first sight in Edmund's case when he meets her! But I won't give it all away. **

**Also I would like to give a recommendation for ****Rorimac Underhill****'s story, ****Edmund Investigates: The Murder on the Tisiphone****. It is an awesome story filled with suspense, some drama and angst, and mystery. It's great!**

**Tell me if you want a sequel. BYE!) **


End file.
